Members of the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Board of Commissioners were divided on one of the first orders of business when the group met Sept. 3. The actions amended the board’s bylaws and removed Joan Young from the role of commission president, replacing her with Dariel Norris, who had been the commission vice-president.

Speikers, who moved for both the leadership change and the action immediately before it, to amend the commission’s bylaws to allow them to dismiss the president of the commission without cause, explained his actions in a Friday phone call with the Record.

First, he said Young was a valued colleague. “Joan is a great commissioner, I’ve known her for a long time. She’s a great person. Unfortunately she’s not as effective in a leadership role as (I) would like,” he said.

Norris, elected to the board in 2013, echoed Speikers’ comments, about needing a transition. “I think we just needed a change to get us through the next couple of months,” she said.

She added that she hadn’t been prepared for the changes to happen Sept. 3, and that she appreciated all of Young’s work and dedication on the hospital commission.

“I think everyone should appreciate her, and appreciate her efforts for good health care for the Valley,” Norris said.

Young, the longest-standing member of the commission, declined to comment on the transition.

She cast the only vote in opposition to her dismissal as president. Commissioner Ryan Roberts, appointed to the board in March 2014, abstained from voting on the by-law change.

The next regular meeting of the hospital commission is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Snoqualmie City Hall. A strategic planning meeting is also being planned for Wednesday, Sept. 30, tenativly scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. in the hospital conference room.